5 oz Silver Libertad 2017: Value & How to Sell

If you inherited or found a large silver Mexican coin marked "5 ONZAS PLATA PURA" with an angel on the back, you have a 5 oz Silver Libertad. The 2017 issue is worth well above its silver content because of a small mintage. In 2026, its raw metal alone runs roughly 175 to 210 USD, and the collector version sells for more.

What you actually have

The Onza Libertad ("Freedom Ounce") is Mexico's official silver bullion and collector series, struck by the Casa de Moneda de México, the national mint. The 5 oz piece is the giant of the family, tied only with the 1 kilo coin for size.

Specifications you can verify with a scale and calipers:

• Metal: pure silver, .999 fine (99.9 percent). Not an alloy.
• Total silver: 5 troy ounces.
• Weight: 155.515 grams.
• Diameter: 65 mm.
• Edge: reeded.

The reverse shows the Winged Victory (the "Ángel" atop the Independence Monument in Mexico City), with the city skyline and the volcanoes Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl behind it. This is the classic scene shared across the whole series. The obverse carries the Mexican coat of arms surrounded by its historical versions.

Is it rare?

Yes, by silver bullion standards. In 2017 the mint struck about:

• 5,050 pieces in Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) finish
• 2,350 pieces in Proof
• 2,000 pieces in Reverse Proof

Those are small numbers next to the 1 oz Libertad, which is minted in the hundreds of thousands or millions per year. Because of that low mintage plus the sheer size, the 5 oz always trades at a collector premium over its melt value.

What it's worth in 2026

Start with the floor: any .999 silver coin is worth at least its melt value, which tracks the live silver spot price. Five troy ounces of silver set the bottom.

Finish	Mintage (2017)	Typical value vs melt
BU (Brilliant Uncirculated)	~5,050	Melt value plus a collector premium
Proof	~2,350	Higher premium than BU
Reverse Proof	~2,000	Highest premium of the three

The metal alone runs roughly 175 to 210 USD depending on the silver spot price on the day. The BU 2017 sells for meaningfully above that floor because of the short mintage and the size. Proof and Reverse Proof command more still, and the smaller the mintage, the bigger the premium.

A fair judgment: do not accept a price near pure melt for a short-run BU like this one. A common 1 oz Libertad trades close to melt; a 5 oz 2017 does not.

How to tell if yours is genuine

A .999 silver coin this size does not forgive missing weight. Fakes almost always come up light or off-dimension. Check:

1. Weight: it must hit 155.515 grams. A digital scale in grams settles most doubts on the spot.
2. Diameter: 65 mm, with a reeded edge.
3. Legend: the reverse reads "5 ONZAS PLATA PURA" with the year and the "Mo" mint mark (Mexico City mint).
4. Magnet test: silver is not magnetic. If it sticks, it's fake.

For anything above pure melt value, and especially for Proof or Reverse Proof examples, third-party grading from NGC or PCGS confirms authenticity and locks in a grade, which is what serious buyers pay for.

Where to buy or sell

You can locate numismatic dealers and bullion shops through the Pesoteca store directory. Coin shops, precious-metals dealers, and specialist auctions all handle the 5 oz Libertad. Sell the graded or Proof versions through a dealer who knows the series, since a general pawn or gold-buyer will often pay only melt and pocket the premium.

This coin is part of the Onza Libertad series, within the Nuevos Pesos era.

Got a 5 oz Libertad and not sure which finish you're holding? Post the year, weight, and clear photos of both sides in the Pesoteca forum and we'll help you pin down the version and a fair price.

5 troy ounces Libertad silver 2017 Regular BU

This piece is the 5 troy ounce silver Libertad, minted by the Mexican Mint in 2017 in its Regular BU version.

Technical data. It contains 155.5 g of pure silver, .999 fineness, and measures 65 mm in diameter. The reverse bears the effigy of the Angel of Independence, chosen by Banxico as the official symbol of the series since 1981. The obverse shows the National Coat of Arms in its pre-1969 version, alongside other historical coats of arms as a mark of the family's identity.

Role within the set. It is the largest piece of the set in silver and one of the scarcest of the annual program. Its mintage is usually under 20,000 examples and its diameter, close to that of a historical 5-peso coin, makes it recognizable in the hand. It is the serious collector's goal.

Context of the year. In 2017 Enrique Peña Nieto was in office. The September 19 earthquake struck Mexico City again. Silver closed at 16.87 USD per troy ounce.

Regular BU finish. The Regular finish, cataloged by Banxico as satin or BU, is obtained with dies that have no special polishing. The result is an even matte shine across the entire surface, with no mirror contrast between fields and relief. It is the traditional bullion finish: it is bought for its weight in pure silver plus a modest die premium. It is the version collectors look for to build the complete set by year without decapitalizing on every piece.

Mintage. Banxico reported in its official tables a mintage of 5,190 pieces for this combination of fraction, year and finish. That number is the basis for measuring the relative scarcity of the piece within the program.